Managing Partner and CEO, Schüco International KG
C2C Talk mit Andreas Engelhardt auf dem Cradle to Cradle Congress 2017
Nora Sophie Griefahn (C2C e.V.) im Gespräch mit Andreas Engelhardt (CEO Schüco International KG)
About Andreas Engelhardt
Andreas Engelhardt, Managing Partner and CEO of Schüco International KG, has been promoting the company's "Value Up" campaign, which focuses on building renovation and circular construction. In a March 2025 interview, he described existing buildings as "the raw material depots of the future" and stated that Schüco offers solutions ranging from minimally invasive improvements to full circular deconstruction and recycling. He emphasized that collaboration with metal fabricators is essential for the industry's development and that he personally works on developing a logistical system for taking back and recycling installed materials. Engelhardt has also discussed his background and political views. In a February 2025 podcast, he noted that he became personally liable partner of Schüco with a secondary school leaving certificate and described the role as involving unlimited personal liability. He has criticized Germany's high construction costs, stating that "37% are state-induced." Regarding sustainability, Engelhardt has long advocated for Cradle to Cradle principles, arguing in 2017 that products should be developed to "100 percent go back into the cycle" and that Germany should use Cradle to Cradle as an "export hit." He has also called for public procurement to prioritize sustainability over lowest-price bidding.
Transcript (18 segments)
I
Interviewer0:09
Welcome to our Cradle to Cradle talk. Today I'm speaking with Andreas Engelhardt. We're very pleased to have you here. A warm welcome. You are the managing partner and have been working with Cradle to Cradle for a long time. Why, as a world citizen and as an entrepreneur, do you engage with this? The world's resources are not infinite, right?
A
Andreas Engelhardt0:35
Well, we have to handle our resources properly, because they are not infinite. So it makes sense to develop products and systems that return one hundred percent to the cycle, and that's what drives us. That's why we've been engaged with Cradle to Cradle for a long time.
I
Interviewer0:51
You have different Cradle to Cradle products in your range that are also certified. What is the difference between these products? What distinguishes these products from the rest?
A
Andreas Engelhardt1:02
Schüco is responsible for the building envelope — windows, doors, and facades. All the systems that go into it, made of aluminum, are Cradle to Cradle certified. And we work with a kind of system building kit. If the building kit is certified, the products that belong to it are also certified. That means when you use our products — and as far as I know, we are unique in this, there is no other — you have a Cradle to Cradle certified product for a building. And we want to expand this in the coming months and years.
I
Interviewer1:38
That means all products, all systems that you bring to market, that are newly coming to market, must at least meet this standard. But what distinguishes this from what you did before, or what your other products are?
A
Andreas Engelhardt1:55
It's a further development. That an aluminum material can be used one hundred percent — that's nothing new, that has always existed. Now it's being certified because it's a kind of quality mark. And now we're also working on the comprehensiveness of the systems — for example, how connections with other materials can be more easily separated. We still have other materials in the system, and now it's about ensuring that the variety decreases so that the material purity, as I would call it, is clearly regulated. We make progress every year and can achieve successes, and that drives us.
I
Interviewer2:33
You also mentioned in your panel that Cradle to Cradle inspires you to go down these paths. What does this inspiration bring, or what does it do?
A
Andreas Engelhardt2:43
We are friends in spirit. We have the same goal. We want to essentially build in a healthy way. We want to build in a way that is dignified for people. We want what is there as building stock when we renovate — new construction and sustainable construction. We are also changing old, bad, unhealthy building stock. And we naturally want the buildings that are newly created — where people live, work, and reside — to be built so sustainably that they comply with these rules, and entirely of our own volition. Who wants to live in an unhealthy building? Who wants to have unhealthy products? That's why this is actually a self-evident motivation. And it is not a trend — I say this again and again — but rather a question of attitude.
I
Interviewer3:25
You are going down the path toward Cradle to Cradle. What are the challenges or obstacles on this path?
A
Andreas Engelhardt3:35
The combination with other materials is, I believe, an engineering challenge — how do I make the separation of materials easier? I also reduce the diversity. The materials that I combine with aluminum must also be Cradle to Cradle certified. The raw material processes, the processing processes — we think much further back. Which suppliers do we work with who have to follow our rules, the rules we have set for ourselves, which correspond to sustainability? And whoever doesn't meet them, or is not willing to develop them further with us, is out as a supplier and partner — no more orders with us. And that is a big challenge, but we are clearly taking it on. The second is how we ourselves live sustainably within the company — what own Cradle to Cradle and sustainability rules do we set for ourselves to raise awareness? Awareness must rise — that brings role models, role models bring demand, and demand brings large-scale implementation. That's the chain.
I
Interviewer4:42
Can you give us a little insight — what was such a big chunk that you had to tackle?
A
Andreas Engelhardt4:48
The biggest chunk we now have to tackle is actually separating the diverse materials within a system. But I am very optimistic about this. What we have achieved — perhaps ten or twenty years ago we wouldn't have thought it was possible, but it is possible when you want it. And when you say it is our goal, we will also succeed in certifying the diversity of system materials to Cradle to Cradle and consistently meeting the standard for sustainable buildings. We are currently building a lot ourselves, and for everything we build, it must at least meet the highest standards.
I
Interviewer5:26
Actually, your requirement is to be even better. Your products and materials are supposed to circulate in the loop. The service concept also plays a big role in Cradle to Cradle. How do you incorporate this service concept and the consideration of how to get proper take-back systems, also with dealers? It's not enough to have a Cradle to Cradle certified product — you also have to think about with which partner and which organization you can manage the entire logistics. How do I bring the material back to where it was created?
A
Andreas Engelhardt6:07
That is a complete way of thinking, and we are working with partners in logistics and reprocessing who share the same goal and are also competent. That is clearly the case. And if you don't have them by your side, then it's not end-to-end. These are the topics we are currently working on quite intensively — working to bring Cradle to Cradle into society and to advance this societal transformation.
I
Interviewer6:39
What do you think — where do you see the greatest need for action? What do you think we might be able to contribute, but also what can a company like Schüco contribute?
A
Andreas Engelhardt6:49
For me, Cradle to Cradle is a kind of quality brand, a trademark. Awareness must be raised that this brand also has value — namely the value of showing and proving that the product or the system, including the services behind it, is sustainably verified and has a sustainable impact. The consumer, the investor, the architect, anyone who has the will to demand a high-quality product says: the quality is worth that much to me, and for me, quality means sustainability. And this is proven by this brand. So more must be done than just recommend bringing this brand forward. We accept this — for us, it is an important component, not a trend. For us, it is also not a marketing tool. For us, it is an expression of a quality mark that characterizes our products and systems. And pushing the brand is simply the challenge of the coming months.
I
Interviewer7:58
You've discovered a task for yourself, and we are really committed to the task of bringing the Cradle to Cradle idea into society. Where would you say we should focus next? We are also trying at the political level.
A
Andreas Engelhardt8:12
Very clearly — the political level naturally needs to know and should also commit to the fact that it itself demands sustainable construction and sets an example. The state must also be a role model. When public buildings are built, they must be built sustainably, and preferably with Cradle to Cradle certified products and systems. If the city doesn't demand it, there's no pressure. Then there must be certain verifications — little bureaucracy but some regulations. Politics should be convinced to go this way. For me, this is also a great opportunity: Made in Germany — using Cradle to Cradle as an export success. If there's something we can do particularly well, it's establishing such a technology and then bringing it out as an export success. That naturally has great impacts worldwide. The second is the architects, planners, and investors — how do we convince them to incorporate this idea into their planning? A building is also worth more if I build it sustainably, easier to retrofit. This needs to get more into people's minds. And the third is within companies — the economy that says I want products and I provide money to develop them. Yes, we also invest in this. We want to be a role model and inspire others to participate.